Ψαφαρόν
crumbly, friable
Translated by Catharine Roth22 Dec 2005Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
[Meaning something] weak, light, bad, easily-broken.1
Appian [writes]: "after Hannibal the general of the Carthaginians crossed the Pyrenean mountains he entered the Celtic territory (now called Gaul) and marched across the land. When he reached the Alpine mountains and found them precipitous, he began to ascend strongly and with daring, suffering hardships, cutting wood and burning it, quenching the ashes with water and vinegar. When the ashes became friable he broke them with iron hammers and used them as a road."2
Appian [writes]: "after Hannibal the general of the Carthaginians crossed the Pyrenean mountains he entered the Celtic territory (now called Gaul) and marched across the land. When he reached the Alpine mountains and found them precipitous, he began to ascend strongly and with daring, suffering hardships, cutting wood and burning it, quenching the ashes with water and vinegar. When the ashes became friable he broke them with iron hammers and used them as a road."2
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ψαφαρόν· ἀσθενές, ἐλαφρόν, κακόν, εὔθραυστον. Ἀππιανός· ὅτι Ἀννίβας ὁ στρατηγὸς Καρχηδονίων διαβὰς τὰ Πυρηναῖα ὄρη καὶ διέβη εἰς τὴν Κελτικήν, τὴν νῦν Γαλατίαν, καὶ διώδευε τὴν χώραν. ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ Ἄλπεια ὄρη καὶ εὑρὼν ἀπόκρημνα ἰσχυρῶς ἐπέβαινε κἀκείνοις ὑπὸ τόλμης, κακοπαθῶν, τὴν μὲν ὕλην τέμνων καὶ κατακαίων, τὴν δὲ τέφραν σβεννὺς ὕδατι καὶ ὄξει καὶ τὴν τέφραν τοῦδε ψαφαρὰν γινομένην σφύραις σιδηραῖς θραύων καὶ ὁδοποιῶν.
Betacode
*yafaro/n: a)sqene/s, e)lafro/n, kako/n, eu)/qrauston. *)appiano/s: o(/ti *)anni/bas o( strathgo\s *karxhdoni/wn diaba\s ta\ *purhnai=a o)/rh kai\ die/bh ei)s th\n *keltikh/n, th\n nu=n *galati/an, kai\ diw/deue th\n xw/ran. e)lqw\n de\ e)pi\ ta\ *)/alpeia o)/rh kai\ eu(rw\n a)po/krhmna i)sxurw=s e)pe/baine ka)kei/nois u(po\ to/lmhs, kakopaqw=n, th\n me\n u(/lhn te/mnwn kai\ katakai/wn, th\n de\ te/fran sbennu\s u(/dati kai\ o)/cei kai\ th\n te/fran tou=de yafara\n ginome/nhn sfu/rais sidhrai=s qrau/wn kai\ o(dopoiw=n.
Notes (2)
- 1Likewise or similarly in other lexica. The headword, neuter singular of this adjective (cf. psi 31), must be quoted from somewhere; there are numerous possibilities (which do not include the quotation given here). ↩
- 2Appian, Hannibal 4. On Hannibal see generally alpha 2452; for the Alps, see alpha 1407; for the Pyrenees, see pi 3213. ↩
Linked from3 entries
- ο413Ὀξείδιονsour wine, vinegar[o)/cei is] dative [singular]; the nominative [is] o)/cos. Also [sc. attested is the diminutive] o)cei/dion. [Note] that vinegar is also called a)li/bas from not being poured [lei/besqai]. Because it is wine that has…
- π3213ΠυρήνηPyreneesA mountain stretching along western Spain, which is the place's security. Also [sc. attested is the phrase] 'Pyrenean mountains'.
- ψ31Ψαφαρῇcrumbly"And with crumbly nard, with grainy dried figs." And again in the Fables: "they stood, nor was their hair soiled with crumbly dust."
Neighbouring entries
Revision history3 revisions · last 2 Feb 2014
- my typo — David Whitehead
- tweaking — David Whitehead
- augmented n.1 and keywords — David Whitehead
- Translated — Catharine Roth